Electric-wire protector



(No Model.)

J. 0. COTTRELL.

B19888818 WIRE PROTECTOR..

.Patented June 5, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

c JOSEPH o. coTTEELL, oE EANwoon, JEEsEv.

ELECTRIC-WIRE PaRoTEcToR, y

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 278,886, dated June 5, 1883.

Application filed January 19, 1883.

To all whom, it muy concern.-

Beit known that I, JOSEPH O. COTTRELL, of Fanwood, Union count-y, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin Electric-\Vi1e Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

A form of protector has been proposed, and to some extent used, in which strips of board or other suitable material of proper thickness are grooved on 011e face and applied by nails or other fastenings, with the grooved side against the wall, inclosing the wires in the grooves. rlhe operation involves difficulties which the present invention is intended to overcome. l employ two boards or analogous pieces of material, one lying upon the other against the wall, and form the grooves, not on the vinner face of either of the pieces, but on the outer face of the piece which lies next to the wall. This piece may be fastened to the wall in advance ofthe application of the wires. Then the wires are laid in their several grooves and temporarily held by any convenient` means. Then the second strip is applied over the first strip, with its wires, and being suitably fastened the whole is complete. ln what l esteem the most complet-e form of the invention the outer or covering strip is narrower than the innermost, and is recessed a little into the outer face ofthe inner board or other piece of material, and a tight joint is made between the outer and the innermost board, particularly at the top. The effect of the device is to protect the wires from mechanical disturbance, and to a large extent from the access of moisture under all conditions. from being injured, and also prevents the electricity in the wires from injuring the building or its occupants.'

The following isa description of what l con.A

sider the best' means of carrying out the invention.

rFhe following drawings form a part ot' this specification.

Figure l is a front view of a conside able length of my wire-protector complete. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent parts detached. Fig. 2 is a cross-section ofthe main part. Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion thereof. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the covering-board. Fig. 5 is a front view of a portion thereof'. Fig. 6 is a crosssection representing the parts combined It prevents the wires (No model.)

and secured by proper l'astenings to each other and to the wall. Fig. 7 is a front view corre spending to Fig. 6. Fig. S shows my device for holding the wires in their respective grooves before the covering piece applied. This also shows a modification of the form of the edges. Fig. 9 represents one ot' the temporary fastening-pegs detached.

Similar let-ters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is the wall of the building.

B is the innermost board, secured by screws or other fastenings, B', to the wall A. lt is -formed with grooves, as b Ir b, receiving the wires m, and the whole face immediately adjacent to these grooves is sunk slightly, as in'- -dicated by b. The edges of this sunk portion are peculiarly beveled, as shown. The upper edge is beveled under. The lower edge produced in a plane nearly parallel, but not quite parallel, thereto. The bevel on the loweredge is greater than that on the upper, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figa. ln preparing the lumber the board B may be iirst treated in one or more machines to produce t-he broad and shallow depression l, extending nearly across t-he whole face, taking care to give Athe bevels to its edges, as described. Then by one or ,more subsequent operations the several grooves b b2 b are formed in the bottom ofthe shallow groove I1.

l) is the covering-board. lt is plane on the back, and is of a width on the back j ust equal to that of the broad shallow groove It is secured by screws or other i'ustenings, C. In applying the parts together the l'astenings (y at the lower edge, being set up tightly, serve, by the greater inclination ot' the lower edge than ofthe upper, to force the covering-board upward and to produ ce a close and watertight joint at the upper edge. There may be additional liastenings C atfor near the upper edge but l propose to dispense with them in ordinary eases and depend upon the locking due to the form of the parts at the upper edge. It is important to make the breadth ofthe coveringfboard D exactly equal to the width of the broad shallow groove b. ln applying it the upper and lower edgesv fit tightly against the corresponding surfaces at the edges of the grooves b. A further provision for the exclusion' of all moisture accidentally received from IOO above, as by a leakage ol water irom some source trickling down the wall, is by the introduction o :t a thin strip, d, ot' rubber, leather, or analogous yielding material. This is compressed when the i'astenings (l are tightened, and forms a water-tight .joint between the parts B and i).

hl is a strip ot' rubber or analogous water proot'elastic material, Ylitted in a saw-kert'in the main board i3 and allowed to project alittlc. Then the coveringboard I) is applied and pi.'o] erly pressed home it forms a tight joint along both lines by compressing the rubberE. The lowermost rubberl is important in preventing the access ot` moisture in that direetion, by capillary attraction or otherwise, when the protector is used on a perpendicular wall. ,It is obviously important when the device is Vused in the horizontal position and water is allowed by any chance to seek access in that di rection. The wires n1y are secured temporarily in their' respective grooves, bet'ore the application ot'the coveri11g-board l), by means o't'small pegs G, ot' hard wood, analogous to shoepegs, but pointed at eaeh end. These pegs G are made ot' a length a little greater than the width oi' the several grooves b b2, oke. Ast'ast as each groove b If', &e., receives its wirefor wires the pegs (Qi are inserted by suitable pliers and twisted around, so that the points eut into the sides ot'the lgroove and serve as reliable anchors to holdthe wire. They serve to keep the wires in their several grooves independent` ot' and additional to the coveriug-board D. It

is inilnnftant that the pegs (l be ot' non-cou i ducting material. Vl tnd wood admirably suit" ed 't'or the purpose, aud by using hard wood t'or the pegs (fr and a sol'ler wood tor the board B there is little difficulty in eliigaging them, inV

the manner indicated. \\'heuever a wire is to be removed or another added in any groove the several pegs (i may be removei'l and replaced by seizing cach in succession with suitable pliers and giving them a partial turning motion. l

Modiiications may be made in the i'orms and proportions. Yl have shown the several grooves as containing one wire nl each. There may be a number ot' wires m, proynfrly insulated i`1'om eaeh other by a covering ot' guttapercha or other suitable material. ln some cases the device may be used with one or more wires in one groove and the other grooves empty.

My protector posstses the advantage over any others known to me that the 'wires .may be examined at any time by removing or partially removing the outer board without disturbing the wires at all. vlt is also vastly casier to put upA with the wires correctly placed, because the inner board can be iirst set in position, either Iinally or temporarily held, and

the wires placed in their proper grooves while the latter are in their 'final position. The covering-board is applied. easily without disturbing the wires.

Parts ot' the invention may be used without the whole. The invention may be used in va` rions positions. I can fasten it in a horizontal position on. the Atloor or the ceiline. It is very frequently requiret'l in the latter position i i 1 practice.

The rubber d may be' omitted and the rubber ll depended on to make a su t'ticient del'ense against the access ot' moisture.

The ,locking by means ofthe bevels may be omitted, and the coveringboard may cuter by square edges, or both. may be beveled tlaring.

The face otl the eoveringboard may be plane, as shown, or it maybe variouslyr molded or otherwise ornainented. For some reasons it .may be preferable to swell the l'ront, making the center ot' consit'lerably great enthickness than the edges.

Instead. ot' putting the strips ot' rubber E in the back board, B, they may be put in the iront board,']"), and form an equally tight joint by their protruding edges heilig pressed against the bac c board, B.

l claim as nly invention i. The main board B, having grooves on its front, as bi', held by l'astenings B', and the cover'iug-bozufd D, held by seq )arateI i'astenings (l, eon'ibined and adapted to serve relatively to each other and to the wires nl. as herein specified.

2. The coveri11g-board I), beveled substan` tially as shown, in combination with the fasteuings (l and withV the board B, having the broad shallow recess or groove I) and narrow grooves b b2, and with the wires m, arranged in such groove, substantially as herein specilied.

3. 'Phe sot't strip or packing d, in combination with the boards l and l) and l'asienings (i, as herein specified, the board B beingl'ornn'ed with au undercut bevcl at the upper edge and witlran open or reverse bevel oi' a dill'erent obliquity at the lower edge, as set i'orth.

4. lille soi't strips or packings E, in combination with the grooved board l, wires nl, coveri iig-board I'Land lastenings( ,as hereinspteiA tied.

The double-pointed pegs (i, arranged, as shown, in the grooves b IF, in combination with the wires nl, boards l and l), and l'astenings as herein. specified.

'lnv testimony whereot'l have hereunto set my hand, atNew York city, N. Y., this 30th day ol' January, 18853, 'in the presence olf two subscribing witnesses.

.`I()Sl lll` t). CO'ITTRELL. Vitnesses:

XV. 1I. Srnixonnvnn )L F. Bovina.

iIO 

